NIA Files Chargesheet Against Six Separatist Leaders; What is the 1996 Srinagar Violence Case?

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted Shabir Ahmad Shah and five other senior Kashmiri separatist leaders in connection with a 1996 case of mob violence and indiscriminate firing on police personnel in Srinagar.

What is the 1996 Srinagar Violence Case?

The 1996 Srinagar Violence Case relates to a funeral procession which was held on 17 July 1996 in Srinagar after the demise of Hilal Ahmad Beigh, who is being identified as a Hizbul Mujahideen militant by Indian authorities. According to investigators, the procession turned violent when participants allegedly pelted stones at police, and militants reportedly opened fire, leading to police retaliation. An FIR was registered against several separatist leaders, including Shabir Ahmad Shah and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, but the case remained largely dormant for decades. It was later revived by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which filed chargesheets in 2026. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination.

Who are the Six Kashmiri Separatist Leaders Named in NIA Chargesheet?

Besides Shabir Ahmad Shah, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Ganie Lone, Mohd Yaqoob Wakeel alias Mohd Yaqoob Vakil, Javid Ahmad Mir, and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi are named among these six separatist Hurriyat Conference leaders in the chargesheet filed under provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, 1989, for criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, rioting and assault on public servants, along with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The charges against Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Ganie Lone and Mohd Yaqoob Wakeel stand abated as they had passed away during the pendency of the proceedings. However, the NIA chargesheet, filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, clearly established the roles in the criminal conspiracy and the common object of the unlawful assembly, along with supporting evidence.

NIA Says Accused Incited Mob, Anti-India Slogans

NIA, during investigation, had ascertained that all six accused had led an unlawful assembly and instigated large-scale violence against police personnel during a funeral procession of slain terrorist Hilal Ahmad Beigh at Naaz Crossing in Srinagar on July 17, 1996.

“Armed terrorists blended in with the procession, which was jointly led by the accused Hurriyat leaders, had fired indiscriminately at police personnel during the violence, in which several police officials were injured. Government vehicles were also extensively damaged in heavy stone pelting on the occasion,” said the NIA in a statement.
As per NIA’s findings in the case (RC-01/2026/NIA/JMU), the chargesheeted Hurriyat leaders had actively incited the violence, raising anti-India, pro-Pakistan and secessionist slogans. “They had delivered inflammatory speeches advocating armed struggle,” NIA further found.

The anti-terror agency said its meticulous investigation clearly established that “the mob violence was part of a larger, pre-planned criminal conspiracy of the Hurriyat leadership to use the funeral procession as a platform for propagating separatist ideology, mobilising public support against the Government of India, provoking public disorder, and inciting violence against law enforcement agencies, while demonstrating the strength of the Hurriyat in Jammu and Kashmir.”

An FIR was initially registered in the case at Srinagar’s Shergarhi Police Station on the day of the violence. NIA took over the case in April 2026 on the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The agency further said its investigation into the case is continuing.

(With Agency Inputs)